


Close To The Ground

by boo_boo_thefool



Series: Close To The Ground [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Gen, Not Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Compliant, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker is Tony Stark's Biological Child, Team Cap neutral, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Whump, but hardly theres so little of it that i dont know if it counts, i only meant to write the scene at the very end but then i accidentally rewrote all of civil war, the other avengers pepper and ned are here too but only briefly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-01
Updated: 2019-05-01
Packaged: 2020-02-15 14:52:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18671896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boo_boo_thefool/pseuds/boo_boo_thefool
Summary: “Not done,” Tony slices a hand through the air, and Peter shuts his mouth immediately. “Because you must have done something. Last I remember, your mother wasn’t an insect.”Peter winces, but he can’t help mumbling an “Arachnid,” under his voice.“Excuse me?”“Spiders are arachnids, not insects.” Mask clutched in his hands, staring at the floor, Peter decides this might just be one of the worst moments of his young, ever persisting life.(...or the civil war biodad au that no one asked for.)





	Close To The Ground

**Author's Note:**

> howdy this got out of hand but it was fun i hope you enjoy reading it as much as i enjoyed writing it. i havent written in a good long while but im getting back into the swing of things
> 
> also, ive got the next two chapters of dirty boxing in the bag but i wanna space that stuff out. maybe sometime this weekend.

When Peter’s dad found out about the Spider-Man thing… well, it wasn’t pretty. 

He was practically ambushed that night when he had crawled inside through the window of their penthouse apartment. It was as Peter stalked towards his bedroom down the hall, pulling his mask off with a relieved sigh, that the living room lights snapped on. Sitting on the couch with an unimpressed glower was his father, Tony Stark, in all his glory. 

Credit must be given when credit is due, however, because Peter had managed to keep his crime-fighting extracurricular a secret for three whole months. 

“I’m not sure what I like more,” his dad started, tone evident that Peter was in for it. “This, or when I thought you were sneaking out to do drugs.”

“It’s not what it looks like—” It’s exactly what it looks like, but Peter won’t admit defeat just yet. 

“Not done,” Tony slices a hand through the air, and Peter shuts his mouth immediately. “Because you  _ must  _ have done something. Last I remember, your mother wasn’t an insect.” 

Peter winces, but he can’t help mumbling an “Arachnid,” under his voice.

“Excuse me?”

“Spiders are arachnids, not insects.” Mask clutched in his hands, staring at the floor, Peter decides this might just be one of the worst moments of his young, ever persisting life. 

The scolding that followed was one for the history books, and the air around their home is tense for a long while afterward. Pepper, ever the moderator between him and his father on the rare occasion that they butt heads, has been gone for a little bit, now, and Peter can’t realistically see her returning to them anytime soon. He misses her. A lot. 

Peter is grounded indefinitely, only allowed to go to school in the meantime. His dad takes away his homemade suit and all his equipment, the only silver lining being when Tony uttered an “ _ Impressive…”  _ while commandeering Peter’s gear. Life continues on as usual after that, sans Peter shining a bit dimmer than usual. Every now and then he’ll overhear his dad talking to FRIDAY about the situation, once even admitting to her that he wished Bruce were still around so that he could have Peter’s new DNA tested by the best in the field. 

Out of all the Avengers, the only ones that Peter has met are Rhodey (obviously), Bruce, Vision (because Vision knows everything J.A.R.V.I.S. knew), and Natasha, thanks to her stint spying on his father for S.H.I.E.L.D. (Peter has a feeling that Wanda knows as well, because of what happened with her looking around Dad’s head during the Ultron fiasco, be he has never had confirmation on it. His dad refuses to talk about it, and if Wanda knows, she’s respecting the secret). The others have no idea that he even exists, thanks to his dad’s overprotective nature. Peter always resented the fact that he never got to hang out with the others but if there was one thing that his father was strict about, it was Peter’s involvement in the world of heroes.

That is, until shit hits the fan. 

A suicide bomber gets thrown into a building. After that, a different bomb kills a king. Then, against all odds that the situation could get any crazier, Captain freaking America goes AWOL.

Peter is sent to stay with Pepper (yay!) while his dad is away, but she eventually can’t continue to stay home. What with her being the CEO of a company, and all. So Peter is passed along to Ned, who is ecstatic to see him after two-and-a-half months and counting of grounding. Explaining that one to Ned is a bit of a challenge. 

Ned is the only person outside of his dad’s inner circle who knows that Peter is a Stark, not a Parker like his cover name suggests. So amidst all the Avengers drama, Peter and his best friend share their theories of what they think is really going on. 

Peter is almost tempted to go out on patrol in secret while he has the chance, but he doesn’t. Things are still a little weird between him and his dad  _ and  _ thanks to the mess with the Avengers, they haven’t seen each other face-to-face in about two weeks. Tony has been gone for longer periods of time (much longer, Peter dares to remember), but this time is different. Peter can tell that his dad is  _ super  _ stressed out at the moment and the thought of going against his word, especially now, sends a shudder down his spine.

But then the unexpected happens. Happy shows up to Ned’s house one day with the news that his dad is home and urgently needs to speak with him. Peter complies (again, obviously) and figures that his dad just wanted to see him again for a little bit before leaving again. Not an issue, Peter always misses his dad whenever he’s gone. He has pretty much gotten over the separation anxiety that he was indirectly gifted by The Ten Rings (with a renewed subscription for Christmas, 2013, thanks to everyone telling him that his dad was dead. Again.), but it still flares up every now and then, now especially because of their argument  _ months  _ prior. 

But when he gets to the penthouse, his dad… gives him a new suit?

Backtrack—what? 

“We need an edge, Pete. We’re outmanned and even though this is the last thing I want to do, I think I have to anyways.” Tony explains. “Cap is dangerous and he refuses to listen to reason. They won’t know who you are—it’ll be a good distraction.” 

“But, Natasha—” Peter stammers. 

“Is on our side, so it doesn’t matter,” his father finishes. “Listen, you don't have to—honestly, I’d prefer if you didn’t—but lives are at stake, and they need to be held accountable.” 

Accountability. This is a concept that Peter has grown up with. It’s the whole reason why his father agreed to take care of him once he was born to a mother who didn’t have the means to do so herself, even when his dad offered to help financially. It’s why his dad is a superhero instead of a weapons manufacturer. Accountability is one of the ten commandments of the Stark household. 

“Plus,” his father adds, “I can tell you’re sad, and it makes me sad. So maybe we can try out this—this spider thing, but only if I’ve got your back. Got it?”  

“Got it,” Peter agrees, absolutely mystified.

 

-

 

The affair at the airport isn’t the lowkey  _ secure and diffuse  _ he was promised. It’s more like an all-out skirmish. Everything that could have possibly gone wrong, went wrong. 

First, Rhodey had to be debriefed on the situation with Peter. His uncle was rightly horrified when he had learned what had happened with the bite, but conceded with a,  _ “If it was gonna happen to anyone, it would’ve been Tony’s kid. Typical.”  _ It was good to finally have someone on his side. 

Peter’s initial, sole task was to keep Cap’s shield away from him. Peter succeeded (duh), but his glory was short-lived as a  _ LITERAL SHRINKING MAN  _ unshrunk himself and stole the shield back, landing a solid kick to Peter’s jaw. 

Everything after that was a bit of a rush, to be honest. At one point he was fighting Sam Wilson, a newer recruit that he hadn’t heard much of, and a man with a metal arm (he totally beat them). At another, he was dodging cars thrown at him by the Scarlet Witch, spending that entire confrontation wondering if she could tell who he was and annoyed that he couldn't ask. 

And then Captain America drops a jet bridge onto him. 

“You got heart, kid. Where you from?” He asks, mildly worn out. Thanks to the adrenaline of Cap telling him he’s got heart, Peter having managed to fight Cap and wear him out in the process, and trying to avoid getting crushed, Peter almost doesn't answer. 

“Queens,” he grits out, and it’s not entirely untrue. It’s part of Peter Parker’s cover story, and it’s where Peter Stark’s mother lived for most of her life. 

Captain Rogers nods to himself, satisfied with the answer. He replies with “ _ Brooklyn, _ ” and promptly leaves Peter to fend for himself. Typical New Yorker behavior. 

After that, the shrinking man gets  _ really  _ big. Peter suggests a tactical strategy, heroically saves the day along with the help of his dad and uncle, and gets bitch-slapped out of the sky. His dad really isn’t pleased about that one, so Peter gets sent back to his hotel with Happy. Peter’s apprehensive, though, because his weird danger-sense keeps going off and his dad isn’t listening to anything he’s saying just because he bumped his head. 

Natasha wasn’t even really on their side. 

Anyways, the next time he sees his dad is when Happy takes him to a German hospital to see his uncle. His uncle who, immediately after Peter left the airport, got shot out of the sky. 

When he enters the hospital room, he instantly notices that Tony is sitting as far away from the bed as possible. The second thing he realizes is that, though he’s been in more hospitals than he could count, this is the first since the bite. The sights and sounds and smells are bound to give him a headache if he stays too long, but he decides to endure it for both his uncle’s and his father’s sakes. 

“What happened?” Peter asks, eyes trailing over Rhodey’s sleeping form. His uncle isn’t usually the one to get hurt like this, and seeing him in such a state is a shock to Peter’s system. 

“Someone cut his strings,” Tony says, voice gravelly. Peter approaches the dilapidated sofa and sits next to his father, leaning against his shoulder in an attempt to provide comfort. Tony continues, “He fell from the sky and now he might never walk again.” 

Peter hums, “Well, I’m sure with our help he could defy any odds.” 

But his father isn't listening again. “You fell today, too. What if it happens again? What would you do if someone cuts your strings?” He sounds mildly panicked. Peter can tell he’s only barely keeping his cool for his sake. 

“I’m fine,” Peter responds. “I didn't get hurt. I’m right here.” Peter takes his father’s arm and situates it so that his palm is face-down on his head. This is something that has always relaxed the both of them, but they haven’t gotten the chance to do it in what feels like forever. 

“I don’t think I can handle you doing this, Peter.” And for once, Peter doesn't fight it. He understands where his father is coming from and doesn't want to push his buttons when he’s in such a fragile state. “If anything ever happened to you—” 

“Okay,” Peter says. “We can deal with it when everything is back to normal.”

 

-

 

And for a little bit, it seems like normal might be on the horizon. Once Rhodey is stable enough to be moved he is sent to a hospital in New York, Peter (and, by extension, Happy) in tow. Tony stays behind to see to some more Avengers business, to Peter’s dismay, but promises that the whole ordeal will be behind them soon. 

But then, one day while he and Rhodey are playing UNO on the former’s hospital bed, Happy bursts into the room. He’s out of breath and looks frantic, eyes skipping over Peter entirely and landing on Rhodey. 

“It’s Tony—”

And Peter freezes. 

He drops his cards onto the bed and promptly checks out, not hearing another word from either of the men. He tries to remember the last thing he said to his father before he left for New York, tries to remember if they’ve talked on the phone since he’s arrived, but he comes up blank. 

Everything’s too overwhelming. White walls and white floor tiles and white sheets all reflecting onto each other thanks to the sun shining in through the windows on the wall across from him. The machine monitoring Rhodey’s vitals has long since been turned off but Peter can still hear the beeping from the rooms on either side of the one he’s in now. From the ones across the hall and the ones on the floors directly above and below his. All beeping in a cacophony of sound that eventually blends together into a flatline. Is someone actually flatlining or is it his imagination? Is it his dad? 

He desperately wants his father. Where is he? Is his dad de—

“Peter!” 

Peter jumps, and suddenly Happy is kneeling in front of him. Upon further inspection, they aren’t even in Rhodey’s room anymore. 

“Where—?” He’s so confused. He feels like he’s just been whacked out of the sky by Giant-Man again. 

“Dad’s gonna be okay, Peter,” Happy says, drawing in Peter’s attention once more. Peter can count on one hand how many times Happy has referred to Tony as  _ dad  _ when talking to him. It’s always situations like these. “He’s a little banged up, but you’ll be able to see him soon. Everything’s going to be okay. I’m sorry I scared you.” 

It’s in these awful situations that Peter remembers how thankful he is for Happy’s involvement in his life. When Dad was… away… when he was little, it was Happy he spent the most time with. Rhodey was always out searching for him and Pepper was dealing with the company, but Happy stayed with him. Stayed with him in that big empty house of his and took him to school, made him lunch and made sure he got in bed on time. Happy’s job was to protect Tony, but Tony was gone. So he took it upon himself to look after Peter, instead. 

“What—What happened?” Peter stutters, an embarrassing habit he thought he had gotten rid of. “I don't understand. Where’s Uncle Rhodey?” 

“Rhodey is being debriefed on the situation.” Ah, so the confidential Avengers stuff Peter wasn’t allowed to know about. “Your dad’s suit sent out a distress signal a couple of hours ago before it shut off completely. He got into a bit of a… scuffle with someone in Siberia. He’s not hurt too bad, but he’s being treated for hypothermia.” 

Hypothermia. That makes sense. Siberia plus dead suit for hours on end equals hypothermia. 

“Is it bad?” Peter questions. “‘C-Cause you seemed really freaked out and something isn’t adding up here.” 

Happy looks nervous—he’s never been good at hiding things from Peter, and it shows. Nonetheless, he sticks to his story, “I mean, it’s not good but he’ll be okay once the doctors get him set up. It shouldn’t be long before you get to see him—I bet you that you’ll be the first person he asks for.” 

Now that he’s coming back to his wits, Peter is unimpressed with  Happy’s crude deflection. “Who was it that he fought? Do you know?”

Happy finally stands back up to his full height and—bingo. We have a winner. Happy shifts back and forth on his feet before addressing Peter again. “We aren’t sure yet.”

“But you have an idea,” Peter states, crossing his arms across his chest. 

“How about I go get you something to eat?” Happy asks, not bothering to stay for the answer. “You sit tight—I’ll be back.”

Peter groans, and lets his head thud against the wall behind him.

 

-

 

Peter gathers that Happy had something else to do because he’s gone for an hour. Probably to do with the stuff he and Uncle Rhodey know, but Peter doesn’t. He can’t help but be bristled over being left out—he fought the Avengers in that airport and he likes to think that he did a good job that day. Plus, this is his dad they’re talking about—Peter shouldn’t be left in the dark about it.

It’s not like Peter has anything to keep himself busy, either, because all his stuff is still in Rhodey’s room. 

Happy returns with a sack from the hospital’s Subway, looking much calmer than he did when he left. Likely because he hasn’t had to deal with Peter prying for answers.

“I’m sorry I freaked out,” Peter says as Happy hands him the bag. He doesn’t really want to eat at the moment, but he looks inside anyways to fool Happy to think he’s interested. “I haven’t had an episode that bad since the thing with Ultron—I thought I’d gotten over it.” 

“Don’t apologize for that, kid.” Happy reassures. “It’s out of your control and it’s not a burden, so don’t be sorry about it.” Peter’s disassociation first popped up during the thing with Killian—his dad presumed dead, Pepper kidnapped, Rhodey M.I.A., and Happy hospitalized. It didn’t help that he had seen everything unfold live on television. His family’s summer home in Malibu being destroyed right before his very eyes while his dad was inside. 

“But if it makes you feel any better,” Happy needles, “I hear that I can take you to your dad now.” Peter, as expected, nearly jumps out of his seat.  

 

-

 

Seeing his dad in the hospital, no matter how many times it’s been, always sends a shiver down Peter’s spine. This time isn’t as bad as others—it’s just hypothermia, Peter reminds himself—but Tony’s face is still scuffed up under the oxygen mask that provides him warm air. 

Happy watches as Peter drops his dinner onto the side table and pulls a chair closer to the bed. He doesn't stop Peter as he reaches under the blankets that swaddle his father to hold his hand, careful to avoid jarring the I.V. that delivers warm saline to his body. It’s heartbreaking to watch—no family should have to go through so much trauma in their lives. 

“The doctors say that he’ll wake up soon, but he probably deserves the extra sleep. Don’t tell the boss I said this, but I think he’s been running on fumes since this whole mess began.” Peter idly wonders if Happy is referring to the situation with the Accords or if he means the kidnapping that took place all those years ago. Presumably, both.

Peter nods but doesn’t take his eyes off of his father’s face. Happy continues, “I’m going to go call Pepper. You text me if you need anything, got it?” Another nod, and Happy leaves again.

Peter slumps over the bed, propped up by his elbows. Clasped in his grasp is his father’s hand, which he rests on his forehead—to anyone else it would look like he’s praying. Maybe he should, but he’s not. It’s only then, in the solitude of his father’s hospital room, does he cry. Peter lets loose the dams that have been threatening to burst for weeks and God, does it feel good. The catharsis brought on by his tears feels like a breath of fresh air after a year spent drowning.

After an indeterminate amount of time spent crying, Peter is interrupted by a creak at the door. He turns to look and it’s Rhodey. In a wheelchair. 

“You aren’t supposed to be up yet,” Peter spills. He sounds miserable and can only imagine how he looks.

Rhodey wheels himself to the end of the bed and examines the chart for a moment before mirroring Peter on the other side of the bed. “No one could keep me down,” he says. “At least, not if you or Tony are involved.” 

Peter sniffles, finally setting his father’s hand back down. He can’t deny that he’s reassured by Rhodey’s familiar presence. The room doesn't feel as cold and detached now that his uncle is here, so Peter lets himself relax a little and settles back into his chair. 

“You doing okay?” Rhodey coaxes. It comes to him easily thanks to his experience with his many nieces and nephews—the ones related by blood that came before Peter. If anyone could persuade Peter to talk, it was him. “'Cause you’ve been through a lot these past few weeks.” 

“We all have,” Peter grimly replies. “But I haven’t had it as bad as either of you—I shouldn’t complain. I’m fine.” 

Rhodey observes his nephew for a long moment, and Peter averts his gaze under the heavy scrutinization. “You’re so much like your father, sometimes, that I have trouble telling you apart.” Peter furrows his brow, and Rhodey continues, “And I’m not just talking about when you look me in the eye and I feel like I’m back at M.I.T.. The both of you need to get hit with the self-care stick.”

“I just don’t want to be a burden,” Peter whispers as if he’s afraid his father will hear.

“God, Pete,” Rhodey breathes out. “You don’t know how backward you’ve got it.” 

Neither says anything else, and that godforsaken beeping takes over the noise again. Peter wipes at his eyes with his sleeve, absentminded, but stops when he realizes that he’s wearing one of his dad’s shirts.

“You know that first house you lived in?” Rhodey asks. The question is so bizarre that it takes Peter by surprise. “Well, you wouldn't because of how little you were, but your dad and I painted the walls of the nursery together. They were pale yellow.” 

Peter has genuinely no clue where his uncle is going with this.

“Once Tony got over the shock of finding out he was gonna be a dad, he went baby crazy. And I mean really crazy. I’ve never seen him put so much thought in another person’s wellbeing. He baby-proofed the house months in advance, he had everything he needed but a name.” Rhodey readjusts himself in his chair and crosses his arms. “I mean, if it were a girl he wanted to name it after his mother, but he couldn't decide on a boy’s name. I’ve never seen Tony Stark so stumped on something.

“He would call me up on a regular basis because he wanted my input on names—he even once called me at two in the morning—but nothing ever stuck. I suggested James, obviously, but I’m kinda glad that one didn't work out. You’re not really James material.” Peter smirks at the jab, but he agrees. The thought of being called anything other than his name makes him want to turn his nose up. 

“So he and I are painting the walls one day. The kid, as we often referred to you as, wasn’t gonna be around for a whole month. We’re covered in paint because we’re engineers, not artists, and Tony gets a phone call. Not completely out of the norm, but he freezes once he answers—not a sight you see everyday. Now, I don't know what was said to him that day, but I do remember that he shouted ‘ _ Are you kidding me?’ _ ” Peter giggles at Rhodey’s impression of his father, voice raised a few octaves. 

“He drops his paint roller into its tray and rushes out the room. I’m left just standing there, no idea what’s going on. But then I hear Tony again, now tracking paint down the hall, and he lets out an ‘ _ Oh, for Pete’s sake!’ _ ” 

That’s when Peter’s smile drops. Rhodey continues, “And then I met you ten hours later. God, you were tiny. I’ve been around a lot of babies, but never one so small. I learn that your name is Peter—and I’m not saying that your dad named you after an idiom, but your dad named you after an idiom.” 

“Not true.” 

Peter whips his head around to see that his father is awake, but his eyes are still closed. His voice is muffled by the oxygen mask, but he seems too tired to remove it. 

“I just liked it, is all.”

Rhodey laughs, but Peter can’t even bring himself to breathe. “You’re just saying that because you’re embarrassed,” his uncle teases.

“Can’t a man get some rest around here without all this gushy slander being spread about?” Then Tony looks to Peter, who still hasn’t moved since his father woke up. “Hey buddy,” he says. “What’s been going on with you?” 

Peter still doesn’t say anything, but he unceremoniously lets his head drop to the mattress of the bed. As if by instinct, his father musters up enough strength to plop his hand on top, hand gliding through his son’s hair without a second thought. 

“Let’s stick close to the ground,” Peter finally mumbles. “Let’s never do anything ever again.” His father hums, but they both know that it won’t be long until another disaster happens.

“Okay, kiddo,” he humors the thought anyway. “You want close to the ground, you got it.”

With that, Peter finally lets his eyes close, and he rests.


End file.
